Zagreb to Santorini: 35-Day Self-Launched Balkans & Greek Islands Adventure

Arrive at Franjo Tuđman Airport and take the Pleso Prijevoz shuttle bus to the main bus station (~£8, 30-40 mins) — much cheaper than a taxi. Check into a hostel in the Donji Grad area near the train/bus stations. Do your own orientation walk: Ban Jelačić Square, Tkalčićeva street, St Mark's Church with its tiled roof, the Stone Gate and Dolac market. Evening bar crawl through Tkalčićeva or the Spacio/Medvedgrad beer halls.

🚌Airport shuttle bus ~£8; walking

🛏Hostel in central Zagreb (dorm, ~£15)

• →Self-guided old town walk
• →Dolac market
• →Museum of Broken Relationships (€4)

Take an early Croatia Bus or FlixBus from Zagreb bus station to Plitvice (Entrance 1 or 2), about 2h15 and ~£10-12 one way. Buy your timed-entry park ticket online in advance (roughly €23-40 depending on season; book at np-plitvicka-jezera.hr). Walk the Lower Lakes boardwalk circuit then the boat across Kozjak lake and the shuttle back up. Stay overnight near Entrance 1 or in Korenica/Mukinje so you can be in the park early.

🚌Intercity bus Zagreb–Plitvice ~£11

🛏Guesthouse or hostel near Plitvice Entrance 1 (~£20-25)

• →Plitvice Lakes National Park self-guided boardwalk route (ticket ~£25)
• →Boat crossing on Lake Kozjak

Morning bus from Plitvice to Split (about 4h, ~£18-22; some services change at Karlovac or go via Knin — check arrivals board). Arrive afternoon, check into a hostel in the old town or Bačvice. Sunset orientation walk around the Riva promenade and Diocletian's Palace cellars (free to wander). Tonight: drinks and a night out in the old town's bars and Bačvice beach clubs.

🚌Intercity bus Plitvice–Split ~£20

🛏Hostel in Split old town / Bačvice (dorm, ~£20)

• →Riva promenade sunset walk
• →Diocletian's Palace cellars (free)
• →Bačvice nightlife

Book a small-group Diocletian's Palace walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£15-20, 1.5h) — cheap and gives context the guidebook won't. Afternoon options: local bus #60 to Marjan hill for the viewpoint (free), or bus #37 to Trogir (about 45 mins, ~£3) to wander its UNESCO old town and Kamerlengo fortress. Evening swim at Bačvice.

🚌Local buses ~£5

🛏Hostel in Split (dorm, ~£20)

• →Diocletian's Palace guided walk (GetYourGuide ~£18)
• →Trogir day trip
• →Marjan Hill viewpoint

Take the morning Jadrolinija or Krilo catamaran from Split to Hvar Town (about 1h, ~£12-18 one way; book at croatiaferries.com or jadrolinija.hr). Admire the fortress (€10), swim off the rocks, then join a Pakleni Islands boat cruise from Hvar harbour (~£30-40, or split a water taxi with hostel mates). Last catamaran back to Split in the evening.

🚌Return catamaran Split–Hvar ~£30

🛏Hostel in Split (dorm, ~£20)

• →Hvar Town and fortress (€10)
• →Pakleni Islands boat trip (~£35)

Croatia Bus or FlixBus from Split to Dubrovnik (about 4.5h, ~£22-28 — sit on the right for coastal views; note you briefly cross into Bosnia at Neum so carry your passport). Settle into a hostel inside or just outside the walls. Walk the Stradun at golden hour, then join a free walking tour or a Game of Thrones tour if you want context (~£15). Night out in the old town.

🚌Bus Split–Dubrovnik ~£25

🛏Hostel just outside Dubrovnik old town (dorm, ~£25)

• →Dubrovnik free walking tour
• →Stradun evening stroll

Start early and walk the city walls (€40 — steep but worth it, allow 1.5-2h) and optionally take the cable car (~£10) before crossing the border. Local bus or shared taxi to Trebinje (about 1h, ~£5-8); there are direct buses from Dubrovnik several times daily. In Trebinje visit Tvrdoš Monastery for a wine tasting (~£5), then Free Herzegovina-style viewpoints like the Hercegovacka Gračanica church above town and the Arslanagić Bridge. Evening in the plane-tree-shaded old town.

🚌Bus/shared taxi Dubrovnik–Trebinje ~£7

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Trebinje (~£18)

• →Dubrovnik city walls (€40)
• →Tvrdoš Monastery and wine tasting
• →Arslanagić Bridge

No public bus links these villages well, so hire a car for the day (from ~£30-40/day plus fuel, or split with hostel mates) or join a local Herzegovina day tour. Wander the Ottoman fortress and art colony at Počitelj, swim at Kravica Waterfalls (entrance ~£7), then continue to Livno. Late afternoon, join the local operator's sunset jeep safari to see the wild horses on Mount Cincar (~£25), and finish with a BBQ and campfire at a rural guesthouse.

🚌Rented car / shared day tour ~£20 per person

🛏Rural guesthouse near Livno (~£20, often with dinner)

• →Kravica Waterfalls (~£7)
• →Počitelj fortress and art colony
• →Sunset wild horse jeep safari (~£25)

Drive or take a bus from Livno to Mostar (about 2h, ~£8 via a change in Široki Brijeg; driving gives more freedom). Stop at Blagaj to see the Dervish Monastery at the mouth of the Buna spring (free; optional boat into the cave ~£5). On in Mostar: join a small-group old town walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£12-15), and be at the Stari Most bridge for the bridge-jumpers' late afternoon dives. Dinner: ćevapi and a cold Sarajevsko by the river.

🚌Bus or car Livno–Mostar ~£10

🛏Guesthouse in Mostar old town (~£20)

• →Blagaj Dervish Monastery
• →Mostar old bridge walking tour (~£15)

Take the morning train from Mostar to Konjic (about 45 mins, ~£3) — one of the most scenic rail stretches in the Balkans. Pre-book a Neretva whitewater rafting half-day with a local operator (~£35-45 including gear and a BBQ lunch). In the afternoon visit Tito's Bunker (ARK D-0, ~£8, book ahead for the scheduled English tour) or relax on the lodge terrace over the river.

🚌Train Mostar–Konjic ~£3

🛏Riverside lodge or guesthouse in Konjic (~£20)

• →Neretva whitewater rafting (~£40)
• →Tito's Bunker ARK D-0 (~£8)

Take the scenic morning train from Konjic to Sarajevo (about 1h45, ~£4; the ZFBH train is slow but spectacular along the gorge). Check into a hostel in Baščaršija, then join a Sarajevo food walking tour booked via GetYourGuide or the local Neno & Friends-style operators (~£25-30, 3 hours) covering burek, ćevapi, sweets and the coffee ritual. Evening wander through Baščaršija and the Kazandžiluk coppersmith alley.

🚌Train Konjic–Sarajevo ~£4

🛏Hostel in Sarajevo Baščaršija (dorm, ~£15)

• →Sarajevo food walking tour (~£28)
• →Baščaršija evening wander

Free day: Gallery 11/07/95 (~£7) and the Tunnel of Hope / Times of Misfortune tour (~£25) for the war history; ride the Trebević cable car (~£10 return) up to the old Olympic bobsled track and walk down through the pines. Afternoon coffee at a Bosnian café, then a final night out with your hostel crowd along Ferhadija and in the bars near the old town.

🚌Cable car and local tram ~£12

🛏Hostel in Sarajevo (dorm, ~£15)

• →Gallery 11/07/95
• →Tunnel of Hope tour
• →Trebević cable car and bobsled track

Long travel day. Take a bus from Sarajevo East bus station to Kotor via Trebinje or Podgorica (about 8-9h total, ~£25-30) or break it with a night; check FlixBus, Centobus and local carrier timetables a few days ahead. Arrive in Kotor, check into a hostel inside the walls, and take a short evening orientation walk around the old town squares by torchlight.

🚌Bus Sarajevo–Kotor ~£28

🛏Hostel inside Kotor old town (dorm, ~£18)

• →Kotor old town evening walk

Hike up the Kotor Ladder of Kotor / San Giovanni fortress walls for the bay panorama (€15 entrance if using the official stairs, or take the free trail from Špiljari). Afternoon: join a 2-3 hour small-boat tour of the Bay to Our Lady of the Rocks and the Blue Cave via Klook or a local kiosk (~£20-28). Evening: cheap seafood or pizza in the old town.

🚌Walking; local boat tour ~£25

🛏Hostel inside Kotor old town (dorm, ~£18)

• →Kotor fortress hike (€15)
• →Bay of Kotor boat tour (~£25)

Bus from Kotor to Žabljak (about 4h, ~£13, often via Nikšić — check schedules the day before). Afternoon in Durmitor National Park: walk the easy 4km loop around Crno Jezero (Black Lake), park entry ~£3. If time allows, add the Nevidio Canyon viewpoint or a short section of the Tara Canyon rim. Stay in a mountain guesthouse.

🚌Bus Kotor–Žabljak ~£13

🛏Mountain guesthouse in Žabljak (~£20)

• →Durmitor National Park (entry ~£3)
• →Crno Jezero circuit hike

Hire a driver or join a shared tour from Žabljak/Nikšić to the cliff-clinging Lower Ostrog Monastery (~£25 shared), then continue by bus to Budva. Check into a hostel near Slovenska beach, then walk the Budva old town at sunset and see the citadel and the Ballerina statue. Optional evening catamaran/Blue Cave cruise booked locally (~£25).

🚌Shared transfer and bus ~£30

🛏Hostel in Budva (~£18)

• →Ostrog Monastery visit
• →Budva old town walk
• →Optional Blue Cave catamaran (~£25)

Bus from Budva to Tirana via Hani i Hotit (about 5-6h, ~£15-20; several companies run daily, book at the bus station or via the hostel). Arrive in Tirana, get an Albanian SIM/eSIM (Vodafone or One, ~£8 for data), and do a self-guided loop: Skanderbeg Square, the colourful Pyramid, Bunk'Art 2 (~£5) and the Blloku bar district for dinner.

🚌Bus Budva–Tirana ~£18; local bus to airport not needed

🛏Hostel in central Tirana (dorm, ~£12)

• →Skanderbeg Square and Pyramid
• →Bunk'Art 2 (~£5)
• →Blloku neighbourhood

Morning: Albanian cooking class booked via GetYourGuide or a local outfit like Cooking Classes Tirana (~£30-35, learn byrek, tavë kosi and baklava, lunch included). Afternoon: local furgon or bus up to Krujë (about 45 mins, ~£2) for the bazaar and castle, then back for an evening in Tirana's Blloku.

🚌Furgon to Krujë and back ~£4

🛏Hostel in central Tirana (dorm, ~£12)

• →Albanian cooking class (~£32)
• →Krujë bazaar and castle

Take a local bus or furgon from Tirana to Berat (about 2.5h, ~£4). Check into a guesthouse in the Mangalem quarter. Explore the UNESCO old town, the castle district (free to walk), the Gorica bridge and the Onufri Iconographic Museum (~£4). Climb to the Kala viewpoint for sunset over the white-washed houses.

🚌Furgon Tirana–Berat ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Berat Mangalem (~£15)

• →Berat castle and old town walk
• →Onufri Museum (~£4)
• →Kala sunset viewpoint

Bus from Berat to Vlorë (about 2h, ~£5), then detour slightly to see the Vjosë-Nartë Delta Protected Area — a bird-rich lagoon network, best with a local guide or by bike (~£10-15). Continue down the coast by bus to Himarë (about 2h, ~£6), a beach town with a hilltop castle and pebble coves. Walk the old town and swim at Potam beach.

🚌Buses Berat–Vlorë–Himarë ~£11

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Himarë (~£14)

• →Vjosë-Nartë lagoon walk
• →Himarë old town and castle

Morning bus along the coast to Saranda (about 1h30, ~£4) — swim at Ksamil if you have time. Take the afternoon hydrofoil or ferry from Saranda to Corfu Town (about 30-75 mins, ~£12-20; book at Ionian Seaways or Kerkyra Lines). In Corfu, check into a hostel in the old town and wander the Venetian lanes, the Liston and the Old Fortress at sunset.

🚌Bus + ferry ~£22

🛏Hostel in Corfu Town (~£18)

• →Saranda / Ksamil beach stop
• →Corfu old town sunset walk

Ride local bus #2 or a rural bus to the start point of a Corfu Trail section (e.g. Stavros or Agii Deka) and hike a waymarked stretch through olive groves and villages down to Benitses (~£3 bus, free walking). Alternatively hire a bike for the day (~£10). Return by bus, and in the evening take the ferry or bus out of the city for a taverna dinner on the coast.

🚌Local buses ~£6

🛏Hostel in Corfu Town (~£18)

• →Corfu Trail self-guided hike
• →Benitses shoreline

Early ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa (~£9, 1h30), then KTEL bus from Igoumenitsa to Kalambaka/Meteora with a change at Ioannina or Trikala (about 6-7h, ~£22-28). Check into a guesthouse in Kastraki village at the foot of the rock pillars. Evening walk up for sunset over the monasteries.

🚌Ferry + bus ~£33

🛏Guesthouse in Kastraki / Kalambaka (~£18)

• →Meteora sunset viewpoint walk

Hike the old footpaths from Kastraki up to the monasteries (Grand Meteoron, Varlaam, Roussanou, Aghia Triada). Monastery entry is €3 each (modest dress: cover shoulders and knees). The Kalambaka–Meteora local bus (~£2) connects the clusters if you'd rather ride. Back in town, dinner in one of the family tavernas.

🚌Local bus and walking ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Kastraki / Kalambaka (~£18)

• →Meteora monastery hike (€9 total entry)
• →Kastraki village walk

KTEL bus from Trikala/Kalambaka to Athens (about 4.5-5h, ~£20). Check into a hostel in Monastiraki or Psirri. Late afternoon: buy your combined Acropolis ticket online (€20-30 depending on season, includes the Ancient Agora and other sites) and head up for the Parthenon as the heat breaks. Evening souvlaki and a wander through Plaka.

🚌Bus to Athens ~£20

🛏Hostel in Monastiraki/Psirri (dorm, ~£18)

• →Acropolis and Parthenon (~£22)
• →Plaka evening wander

Morning at the Acropolis Museum (~£12-15; the LEGO Parthenon replica is worth the trip) and the Ancient Agora. Lunch at Shedia Home, the social-enterprise café run by and for people experiencing homelessness — a real local-impact spot with great Greek home cooking (~£8-10). Afternoon in Exarchia's street art and bookshops, or the National Archaeological Museum if you want depth. Big night out in Gazi.

🚌Metro/tram ~£3

🛏Hostel in Monastiraki/Psirri (dorm, ~£18)

• →Acropolis Museum (~£13)
• →Shedia Home community café
• →Exarchia street art

Take the metro to Piraeus and catch a Blue Star or Seajets ferry to Paros (roughly 3-4h fast ferry, ~£30-45; book on ferryhopper.com a few days ahead). Check into a hostel or rooms in Parikia. Orientation walk through the old town, the Ekatontapyliani church and the windmill-lined waterfront, then sunset at Parikia port.

🚌Metro + ferry ~£45

🛏Hostel/rooms in Parikia, Paros (~£22)

• →Parikia old town and Ekatontapyliani church
• →Port sunset

Rent a scooter or quad (~£15-20/day, or take the local bus ~£2 each way) and hit Kolymbithres' sculpted granite beach, then Monastiri or Golden Beach on the east coast. Alternatively join a small-boat beach tour (~£35). Lunch at a beach taverna, afternoon swim, and back to Parikia for cocktails. Spend the day on slow-travel time.

🚌Scooter/bus ~£18

🛏Hostel/rooms in Parikia, Paros (~£22)

• →Kolymbithres beach
• →Golden Beach and Monastiri
• →Optional boat beach tour (~£35)

Short ferry from Paros to Ios (about 45-75 mins, ~£12-18). Check into a hostel in Chora or at Mylopotas beach (~£20-25). Walk up to Chora's windmills and the Panagia Gremiotissa church for the view, then head to Mylopotas for a swim. Ios is Greece's backpacker island: cheap gyros, beach bars and an easy crowd to meet.

🚌Ferry Paros–Ios ~£15

🛏Hostel in Ios Chora or Mylopotas (~£22)

• →Chora windmills and church
• →Mylopotas beach

Do a DIY beach crawl of the island's south coast: Manganari, Psathi and Agia Theodoti are reached by infrequent local buses (~£3 each) or a scooter (~£15). Bring water, snacks and a snorkel. Return to Chora for a sunset at Odysseus Elytis' grave or the top of the hill, then a cheap dinner and night out in Chora's buzzy main street.

🚌Scooter/bus ~£18

🛏Hostel in Ios (~£22)

• →Manganari and Psathi beaches
• →Chora night out

Morning ferry from Ios to Santorini Athinios port (about 1h, ~£15-25; SeaJets or Blue Star). Take the local KTEL bus up to Fira (~£2) and check into a hostel in Fira or Karterados — Santorini bargains are inland, not in the caldera. Afternoon bus to Oia (~£2) for the famed sunset (arrive early; it's crowded but free).

🚌Ferry + KTEL buses ~£28

🛏Hostel in Fira or Karterados, Santorini (~£25)

• →Oia sunset
• →Fira town walk

Hike the Fira-to-Oia caldera trail (about 10km, 3-4h, free) — one of the great coastal walks in the Mediterranean. Stop to swim at Ammoudi Bay or in Fira's Loutra tavernas. In the afternoon head east to the black sands of Kamari or Perissa by bus (~£2, sunbed optional). Evening: wine tasting at a local vineyard like Santo Wines or Venetsanos (~£15-25) if you want the full Santorini moment.

🚌KTEL buses ~£5

🛏Hostel in Fira or Karterados, Santorini (~£25)

• →Fira–Oia caldera walk
• →Kamari or Perissa beach
• →Optional vineyard tasting (~£20)

Bus to Akrotiri (~£2) and visit the Minoan Bronze Age excavation under its protective roof (~£12; check closing day). Then walk to the Red Beach and optionally the Lighthouse for views. Back in Fira, wander the shops, and catch sunset from the Firostefani church with a gyros in hand.

🚌KTEL buses ~£5

🛏Hostel in Fira or Karterados, Santorini (~£25)

• →Akrotiri archaeological site (~£12)
• →Red Beach
• →Firostefani sunset

Optional half-day catamaran or volcano hot-springs boat trip from the old port (~£30-45) — pack a swimsuit because the hot springs are reached by swimming. Otherwise opt for a slow day: a cooking class, a beach, or just people-watching in Imerovigli. Final-night dinner with your hostel crew and a last caldera sunset.

🚌Local buses ~£3

🛏Hostel in Fira or Karterados, Santorini (~£25)

• →Volcano and hot springs boat trip (~£35)
• →Imerovigli village walk

Take the KTEL airport bus from Fira (~£2) to Santorini International Airport for your outbound flight (or ferry back to Athens/Rafina if you're routing home overland). If you have an afternoon flight, squeeze in one last swim at Kamari. Trip ends — 35 days, 5 countries, and a route you built yourself.

🚌Airport bus ~£2

🛏Check out of hostel (no night booked)

• →Kamari swim (time permitting)